Flourishing programs in 90+ disciplines. A vibrant Christian mission. $50 million
in new campus construction. Championship athletics. 94% placement within 6 months
of graduation. There’s never been a better time to consider Hope College.

As a member of the MIAA and NCAA Division III associations, Hope College sponsors
22 varsity sports for men and women. The college is home to the 2014 NCAA Division
III National Championship women’s volleyball team.

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The Hope College women’s swimming & diving team made a late decision to switch Molly
Meyer’s spot in the 400-yard medley relay, and it paid off in a big way.

The sophomore from South Bend, Indiana (John Adams), set Michigan Intercollegiate
Athletic Association and school records in the 100 backstroke while leading the 400
medley relay to a first-place time of 3 minutes, 51.80 seconds.

The relay finish helped the Flying Dutch take the lead in the six-team meet with 262
points. Hope leads second-place Kalamazoo by eight points and third-place Calvin by
nine.

The MIAA Championships resume at Holland Community Aquatic Center on Friday at 10
a.m. with preliminaries.

“We were trying to get a big lead,” Hope coach John Patnott said of the strategy for
the 400 medley relay, Thursday’s final event. “We were thinking if we could get the
lead, we could hold it. Molly is our best flier and best backstroker. Our freshman,
Chloe Palajac, did a great job in Molly’s place. That gave us a big lead. They had
to chase us.”

Meyer’s lead off split of 56.50 seconds surpassed the old MIAA mark of 57.36 belonging
to Albion’s Anna Hargrove in 2014.

It also eclipsed the old school record of 56.67 belonging to Susan Looman from 1994.

“I wanted to get that record off for several years. It’s just too old,” Patnott said.
“Records are nice. They deserve to be broken sometimes.”

Hope also won in 3-meter diving as junior Sarah Sheridan repeated as MIAA champion
with a score of 539.80 points. Senior Erica Dunham of Rockford, Michigan (Rockford
HS), placed third with 443.35 points while junior Stephanie Polet of Grandville, Michigan
(Grandville HS), was eighth with 377.45 points.

The Flying Dutch finished second, third and eighth in the 500 freestyle.

Junior Lindsay Wiederhold of Plainwell, Michigan (Plainwell HS) placed runner-up with
a time of 5:05.90. Palajac came in third at 5:10.97, while junior Virginia Cotterall
of Spring Lake, Michigan (Spring Lake HS), was eighth in 5:23.07.

In the consolation final, junior Kaleigh Mullen of Rochester, Michigan (Pontiac Notre
Dame Prep), took 10th at 5:21.32. Burgess was 13th at 5:23.20.

The Hope College men’s swimming & diving team placed third in the 800-yard relay on Wednesday during Day 1 of the 2015 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships at Holland Community Aquatic Center.